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Jordan
has agreed to take the reins of the presidency of the southern bloc
of the Union for the Mediterranean during a summit in Barcelona last
weekend. The country, which has remained relatively stable during the
so-called 'Arab Spring' uprisings, will replace Egypt as co-president
of the organization. The EU will also assume responsibility for the
northern member states, taking over from France, which is also
experiencing its own economic and political upheavals at this present
time.

Quote: “''During the
meeting" said the UfM secretariat - "an important
announcement was made: Jordan has expressed its willingness to take
on the co-presidency for the southern half of the Union for the
Mediterranean''. The announcement ''was accepted favourably and
unanimously by all the representatives'' of the 43 countries of the
region. Following yesterday's green light, Jordan will thus be
guiding the co-presidency of the UfM from September, along with the
EU, in occasion of the next high representative meeting planned in
Brussels.

The Union for the Mediterranean has
come through a turbulent time since its establishment on July 13th,
2008. The project was first envisioned
by French President Nicolas Sarkozy in October 2007 and was
subsequently adopted
by the European Union in March 2008. Its inception was hailed as the
best
news for peace in the Middle East, but ever since then the
initiative has fallen victim to the various troubles that have
afflicted the region. Israel's Operation
Cast Lead, following the end of the Hamas ceasefire in December
2009, was condemned by Arab states. As a result the Mediterranean
union's summit had to be postponed. Then we had the Flotilla incident
in May 2010, when Israeli commandos boarded a Turkish vessel bound
for Gaza. They landed in the middle of a lynch mob armed to the teeth
with iron bars and knives. Around a dozen of the 'peace activists'
were killed when Israeli soldiers opened fire. The event marked a new
low in relations between the two countries. Turkey was historically
one of Israel's closest Muslim allies, but since the election of a
pro-Islamic government in 2003, relations have soured to the point
where the Turkish government now classifies Israel a “major
threat”. Then the 'Arab Spring' erupted in January 2011.
Tunisia was the first to fall. One of the first acts of the newly
elected government was to forbid ties with the 'Zionist
state'. Libya's Gaddafi
originally objected to Israel's inclusion in the Union for the
Mediterranean. Four years later Gaddafi is dead and a new Libyan
government has been installed, thanks to the 'Arab Spring' along with
British and French intervention. Now Libya is a full
member of the organization. Egypt, under former president Hosni
Mubarak, previously held the presidency of the southern bloc. Once
one of the most stable pro-Western Arab governments, and one of the
few to have a peace agreement with Israel, Egypt now finds itself in
the grip of a Islamic uprising that threatens the stability of the
entire region. Mubarak is on his deathbed and the Muslim
Brotherhood, the party that spawned the Hamas terrorist
organization, has taken control of the country. Syria looks like it
could go the same way. With over 15,000 dead in a bitter civil war,
it seems it may be only a matter of time before President Bashar
Assad is toppled and a fundamentalist Islamic government takes its
place. The only thing preventing that prospect from happening is
Russian support for the Syrian regime. But President Vladimir Putin's
support will come at a price, for Russia is using the crisis to
extend its own influence in the volatile region.

As you can see, Israel is now being
surrounded by increasingly hostile Islamic states. All the non-Arab
Islamic states, Iran, Turkey, Libya, each mentioned by name in
Ezekiel's prophecy, have in these last few years been taken over by
fundamentalist Islamic governments. Russia, which is prophesied to
back a future invasion of the land of Israel for its own ends
(Ezekiel 38:2, 12), is already heavily involved in the region. On the
other hand we have the European Union, which is also seeking to exert
its influence over the Middle East. So far they have achieved very
little, but I believe that will change. I don't know how it will come
about, but somehow the way will be opened up for the EU to guarantee
peace and security for Israel, perhaps through the Union for the
Mediterranean or an EU-sponsored United Nations initiative. Such a
deal has been offered
in the past, and I believe it will be offered again. Former Israeli
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert previously remarked during the Second
Lebanese War that Israel seeks a 'covenant
of peace' with its neighbours. It's interesting to note that
since Israel's rebirth in 1948, only two Arab nations have ever
signed a peace treaty with it. The remainder of the Arab states
refuse to even recognize Israel's existence until a peace agreement
can be reached that satisfies everyone. And so we read in Daniel 9:27
of the Antichrist, who will strengthen a covenant between Israel and
many people.

It's hard to know exactly what way
events will unfold over the next few months. But one thing is
certain, Bible prophecy is being fulfilled. Jesus Christ is coming
back. The prophecy of Daniel states that in the days of this last
world empire, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which shall
never be destroyed (Daniel 2:44). Mighty Babylon is gone.
Medo-Persia, Greece and Rome are ancient history. And as we have seen
with the 'Arab Spring', earthly kingdoms come and go. But the kingdom
of heaven will stand forever. Do you belong to Christ's kingdom? Have
you trusted in Him for the forgiveness of sin? Turn away from your
sin and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation today.

Philippeans
3:20For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look
for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: